An ordinary semi in Hanwell or Greenford bought in the 1970s is now worth enough on its own to take an estate past the inheritance tax threshold, and the Edwardian houses around Ealing Common passed that point long ago. That is the first reason people in Ealing see a will solicitor: without planning, the family home can produce a tax bill that forces its sale. Lifetime gifts, trusts for grandchildren and charitable legacies are the usual tools, and a solicitor can say which actually helps.
The second reason is the shape of Ealing's families. In Southall a house is often owned by brothers, parents live with a married son, and money has passed to and from relatives in the Punjab. Those arrangements work well in life and badly in death if nothing is written down: the intestacy rules do not know about family understandings, give nothing to unmarried partners, and can leave a widow sharing her home with in-laws who now own part of it. A will that says what was intended, and a declaration of trust recording who paid what, prevent years of dispute. Polish, Irish and Somali families face the same questions with assets in two legal systems.
The third piece of work is a pair of lasting powers of attorney, covering money and health; without them, a stroke or dementia leaves relatives applying to the Court of Protection. When someone dies, the same Ealing solicitors obtain the grant of probate, deal with HMRC and distribute the estate, and executors are personally liable for mistakes.
Ealing firms almost always quote a fixed fee for wills and for powers of attorney; probate may be fixed, hourly or a percentage of the estate, so ask.
Will and probate firms serving Ealing are listed below, verified firms first. Our explainers cover wills, trusts and probate, the cost of a will, probate fees and what a lasting power of attorney does, and the general guide to will solicitors describes the service.
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